In the grand tradition of all those activists and artists who have challenged, changed, and inspired before us, we decided to LITERALLY take our messages to the street today! We have been guerilla art-ing love and equality all morning with washable spray chalk paint and stenciled messages.
I can’t think of an easier and more immediate way to get out with kids and teach them that there are SO many ways to participate in our political system. Today, be inspired by the peace, the love that’s out there, the mobilization, action, voices, and ART! Democracy affords us amazing opportunities and to make it work, we must ALL work together – on EQUAL footing.
It is SO much fun to “spray paint” these messages, but if you don’t feel like gathering the supplies, have a better idea, just want to use chalk sticks on your driveway – OR – take it to the next level by figuring out how to use wheatpaste – DO IT!!! There are SO MANY ways to create guerrilla art in fun (eco-friendly…lawful) ways with kids. I’ve included a couple of examples and links below to get your creativity flowing. To recreate our exact look though, see the instructions below…
For a colorful winter twist on our spray paint, mix up a batch of homemade snow paint and head outside to experiment!
Stenciled Chalk Spray Paint Message Supplies:
BASIC SUPPLIES:
- DIY sidewalk paint
- Spray bottles, squeeze bottles, brushes, or sponges
OPTIONAL SUPPLIES:
- Our chalk art template (download below)
- A piece of poster board
- An X-Acto knife
Stenciled Chalk Spray Paint Message Instructions:
Make your chalk art stencil
You can grab our template for stencil-making – OR – come up with a message of your own! Layout your message on a thick piece of poster board or card stock, use an X-Acto knife to cut the letters out, and voila – you have your very own stencil!
Make the chalk paint
Mix up a batch of DIY sidewalk paint using our recipe, then pour it into a spray bottle. You can make and use multiple colors.
Lay your stencil on the sidewalk and start spraying!
Find a good spot on the driveway or sidewalk, lay down your stencil, and start spraying!
You can download the 18×24″ template below by right-clicking and “saving as”. If you’re home printing, make sure to choose borderless printing – due to the size, this will print on 4 separate pages you can then align – or just reduce/enlarge the size as you need it by changing your printer settings.
Looking for a little inspiration? Here are a couple of our favorites:
For art opportunities that reinforce positive action, try making these colorful rainbow ribbon noisemakers to celebrate Pride Month! Create a miniature peace garden, or encourage inclusive play with a set of diverse DIY peg dolls your kids can paint and decorate themselves.
